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Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.

Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda, Is he who sings songs to a troubled heart.

Proverbs 25:20

Commentary

Sometimes quick answers are the worse thing to offer when people are going through a hard time. In well meaning attempts to lift someone's spirits, we move too fast. It would seem ridiculous to visit someone who has just experienced major surgery and try to pull them out of the hospital bed to get them to exercise. In the same way, sometimes people need the space to grieve for a while. To try to bypass a heavy heart can add more pain to the process. Sometimes the best thing that we can do is to weep when they weep, or just sit with them in silence. The comfort comes not in our cheerful songs, but our presence.